Letters to the Editor

Bipartisanship a bunch of hooey

During a meeting with Republicans, President Obama defiantly said “I am not an idealogue.” Though the term has fanciful implications, I don’t see standing up for one’s convictions as a bad thing.

I think the President is indeed an idealogue. I am somewhat an idealogue myself. The difference being, I am right and he is wrong.

The meeting was a disingenuous show of bipartisanship on the president’s part. But, it was important because it was covered by the biased media. Republicans were shown as having ideas to offer, not just being the “party of no” as claimed by Democrats (who always get coverage).

Bipartisanship is constantly talked about in Washington, but has seldom been observed in the last three years. Republicans think bipartisanship is making concessions to hopefully get much of what they want. Democrats think bipartisanship is Republicans agreeing with Democrats.

As an idealogue, on this issue I side with the Democrats and view bipartisanship as a bunch of hooey. Remarkably, Republicans took a stand against the health care fiasco and slowed the process enough for Democrats to self-destruct. Partisanship (the inverse of bipartisanship) worked.

I view partisanship as black vs. white and bipartisanship as black + white = gray. We have thousands of gray laws that, in many cases, don’t serve either side well and can do more harm than good. The disastrous TARP bill is a prime example, supporting my argument.

I equate partisanship with checks and balances. The founders placed a separation of powers between the branches of the federal government to make it difficult for one branch to rule supreme. Many times one party has gained control of all three branches, but it’s always been a seesaw from one party to the other.

No system is perfect, but ours is the best on the planet. Voters rejected the Bush administration and forgot what it’s like when Democrats are in control (bad to worse).

Democrats now want Republicans’ help in passing the so-called health care reform bill. The one they couldn’t get passed among themselves with a 60-vote majority! They have dreamed of this power grab for decades.

Obama is not about to give up on the health care take-over. He has to have it to win the votes of illegal immigrants. Pile on cap and trade, amnesty, card check and the global warming nonsense. If ever there was a time for the party of no, it is now.

There is a good chance Republicans can take back Congress in November. Would Obama be forced to move toward the center like Bill Clinton did? I can’t see it. He would have to actually “do” what he says he is doing and stop most of what he “is” doing.

The meeting at Blair House (like the first meeting), showed that he doesn’t care about our “productive ideas.” He’s been hearing them for a year. As long as Obama continues to debase our country, he will be getting “criticism” from me. It’s that idealogue thing.

Property sale has ramifications

Written by Gene and Nellie Furrow, Gothenburg
Friday, 26 February 2010 23:16

To whom it may concern...

We really appreciate your generous act of buying the Rainbow Trailer Court and donating it to the Gothenburg schools.

However, your generous act has put an enormous burden on our family. Our family will more than likely be forced into foreclosure because of the lack of funds available to us for the buying of a lot and expenses involved in moving our home out of the trailer court.

Again, we really do appreciate your generous act...our only wish is next time, please consider the effect it will have to all that are involved.

So, please pray for us. God bless!

Join Relay For Life in 2010

Written by Pam Ackerman, Hero of Hope 2010, American Cancer Society andRelay For Life of Dawson County Volunteer
Thursday, 25 February 2010 22:50

Anyone who has spent a night participating in an American Cancer Society Relay For Life knows how tiring—yet fulfilling—the event can be.

The idea is simple. You get about 8-15 of your friends and/or coworkers together on a Friday night. You raise money or take donations from people who can’t participate. Then you walk—for at least 12 hours straight. To simplify things, the rule is that at least one person from each team agrees to walk at all times. Easy right?

The events always begin with one lap with most of the participants standing on the sidelines. Why? Because this first lap is reserved to honor cancer patients, cancer survivors and often caregivers.

Groups camp out near the walking area and spend the hours talking, playing games, taking turns walking the track and encouraging one another. The festivities grow a little subdued with the lighting of memorial candles in honor of cancer survivors and victims that line the walking area. The lights at the events usually are dimmed, and names of those honored with the candles are read somberly.

Sometime after dawn, the tents are taken down, the candles are blown out, and everyone goes their separate ways knowing they spent the night raising money for a good cause.

And, thankfully, the number of people taking the opportunity to participate and raise money for cancer research and programs to help cancer patients is growing in Dawson County. More than 350 people participated in the 2009 Relay last summer and raised nearly $83,000. This confirms that Dawson County remains a very generous place. When it comes to giving to worthwhile causes, there seems to be few limits.

But the success of the Relay For Life events also has a deeper meaning. Sadly, at some level or at some point in everyone’s life, we all have or will deal with cancer.

If we are not individually diagnosed with the disease, we all can name a coworker, friend, sibling, an aunt or uncle, or even a parent who had cancer. Cancer knows no race, economic background or geography. It can affect us all.

Many of the volunteers and participants at the Relay events are there for someone else, either in their memory or to personally support someone’s fight with the disease. Few events combine laughter and fun so closely with pain and tears.

So to all those who have walked or generously given money to walkers, we offer congratulations on personally making a difference in the fight against cancer. To those of you who have not participated in the past, take a chance, take a stand and fight back against a disease that takes too much.

When you participate in Relay For Life events, you are saving lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back. We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate, remember, and fight back in 2010. Relay For Life events make a difference!

Because of you, more people are surviving cancer and celebrating more birthdays. Join the fight by attending the Kick-Off Birthday Party on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at Chipper Hall, 144 East 8th, Cozad.

Productive ideas needed

Written by Penny Fattig, Gothenburg.
Thursday, 18 February 2010 23:29

I thought it quite cute the way Neil Davis copied the typos to a “T” in my last letter which refuted his ideas suggesting our country is becoming a totalitarian government. I can’t help it that the editor couldn’t read my handwriting (LOL).

Neil’s arguments against Social Security were almost convincing except that...idealistically, that would be great if people would or could save enough money for their retirement or pay for their own disability insurance, but realistically, this probably would not happen.

Most of us are “insurance poor” as it is, and when we were young and should have started a retirement account, that was the farthest thing from most of our minds. Just getting the critical bills paid was a struggle. Or if we could have, would we have invested wisely and successfully or would we have been tempted to do like our government has and borrow our own retirement funds?

I agree that grants may be over extended but most do stimulate the economy...carpenters are hired, materials, fuel, equipment, food, etc. are bought.

I just wish our two parties would get past the hate and hype and work together to figure out how to take care of those IOU’s and the rest of our country’s problems.

Our system may not be perfect but I don’t know where I would rather live. What would be the perfect system? Maybe next week we will see those ideas in the paper and we could send them on to President Obama—he says that he wants productive ideas and not just criticism.

Seek alternatives to Yellow Tail

If you love wine with your steak, pork chop or chicken breast, please know that Yellow Tail wines are not a good choice. Recently Yellow Tail announced a $100,000 donation to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Do not confuse HSUS with the local animal shelters, they have no connection whatever. HSUS is actually a very rich political lobbying organization whose chief goal is to eliminate all animal agriculture from the United States, forcing everyone into a vegan diet. We ask readers to refrain from buying Yellow Tail wines and share your opinion of its donation on its Face-book page or its Web site. Thankfully here in Nebraska we have many wonderful local wines to choose from and encourage readers to buy locally.

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